[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
Love to be showcased early and often in new(ish) Aggie offense
With USU’s Heisman promotion in full swing, Andersen expects big things from his QB this fall
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Jordan Love‘s ceiling is sky-high, and Andersen will give him plenty of chances to prove it
The days of keeping Jordan Love a local secret are pretty much over.
While some savvy enough to keep their ear to the ground last season might’ve noted a particular QB brimming with potential in northern Utah, NFL scouts and Heisman voters alike have now taken notice on the eve of Love’s 2019-20 campaign. Sure, the candy hearts have something to do with it, but mostly it’s the need for every front office in pro football to keep tabs on possible up-and-comers at the most important position in sports.
Utah State head coach Gary Andersen joined KSL TV’s Jeremiah Jensen to discuss the upcoming season, specifically the offense.
His aim is to construct an offense around Love (and a host of new offensive pieces) in ways that give the junior QB options in January. It’s hard to imagine any coach in the country doing any different — a quarterback with both strength and accuracy enough to carry a team on a bad day and thoroughly dominate opponents when he’s at his best deserves to be let loose.
So, what will Love’s options in January be? Can an Aggie QB really become the face of an NFL franchise?
Being named to every preseason awards watch-list a college quarterback could hope for and facing a strong fall schedule — including road trips to LSU, Wake Forest and Fresno — provides ample opportunity for interested parties to see Love in action. Love’s opportunity to make a significant splash in the draft is already rising, as rumors abound concerning Colts’ GM Chris Ballard eyeing Love as a solution to Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement.
https://twitter.com/ZachHicks2/status/1165463204060913666
If a G5 quarterback going high in drafts seems a bit lofty, consider some recent history:
Josh Allen’s best season (2016): 3,203 yds, 28 TD, 15 INT, 56% comp rate, 8.6 y/a, 144.9 rtg.
Jordan Love’s first full season (2018): 3,567 yds, 32 TD, 6 INT, 64% comp rate, 8.6 y/a, 158.3 rtg. Consider also that Love sat out 12 quarters, so those numbers could have been so much better.
Allen was the third QB taken in his draft and a No. 7 overall pick. That’s good news for Love, as teams continue reaching for promising quarterback talent every year no matter the cost (it’s still cheaper than paying a twilight-years Flacco) — and come Draft Day 2020, there might be more turnover in this market than usual.
Nobody can project which NFL QBs will stay healthy this year, but in terms of need one can assume the following teams will be in the market for a new man under center by year’s end (deep breath): Dolphins, Redskins, Bucs, Broncos, Raiders, Chargers (this division, man), Bengals, Colts, maybe Giants if the Daniel Jones experiment fails and Patriots.
Top available candidates for those positions commonly include Tua, Herbert and Fromm in some order depending on preference, but if the Aggie offense operates how Andersen believes it should, Love will have every chance to throw his hat in that ring.
Of course, he could also elect to run it back for another season with Utah State — but let’s worry about Wake Forest Friday and save that discussion for another day.
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